Personalization of Restorative and Compensatory Treatments for People With Aphasia

Abstract

Speech-language pathologists serving individuals with aphasia must make many decisions regarding assessment and intervention practices to support comprehension and expression of language. Each of these decisions can influence the effectiveness of therapy and long-term functional outcomes for individuals with aphasia. One factor that must be considered is the impact of personalizing therapy techniques to match the unique strengths and challenges of a client as well as incorporating personally relevant stimuli and methodologies into therapy. Research indicates that treatment customization can have a positive impact on service provision quality and can potentially lead to positive outcomes in therapy. The purpose of this article is to provide a broad overview of how personalization can be achieved across a variety of interventions. Furthermore, we explore factors (e.g., client motivation, cognitive resources) that influence therapeutic outcomes and discuss the benefits, challenges, and rationale for therapy customization.

Personalization of Language Intervention for Children and Adults With Complex Communication Needs

“…In the final article, Thiessen and Brown (2021) provide a broad overview of how personalization and personal relevance can be achieved across a variety of interventions for adults with aphasia and to discuss the rational for personalized treatment of individuals with aphasia. Finally, the need for future research related to this topic is described.…”

Personalization of Language Intervention for Children and Adults With Complex Communication Needs

“…Then, Gormley and Fager (2021) highlight personalization across health care interactions for children and adults with complex communication needs. Next, Thiessen and Brown (2021) describe the status of personalization and personal relevance in interventions for adults with aphasia and put out a call for more research in this area. Finally, in an online-only article, Beukelman et al (2021) explain the results from a preliminary study that examined human image personalization across different age groups and genders.…”